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18th August 2018, 01:42 PM
#1
P&O GCD Reunion 2019
Are there any ex P&O GCD personnel on this forum thinking of organising a reunion in 2019?
I am from a close group of ex Riversdale P&O GCD Deck Cadets who went to Riversdale from 1973 to 1977. We have held reunions in the past and they haven't always been inclusive to P&O GCD personnel. We also invited friends who attended Riversdale College of Technology in Liverpool at the same time. The first vessels that our group sailed on were of the 'M' Class ex BI cargo vessels (Merkara and Morvada).
We hope to hold a reunion next year, or are equally content to join others looking to make up numbers and share costs.
Regards,
Paul Potter
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5th February 2020, 09:02 AM
#2
Re: P&O GCD Reunion 2019
Originally Posted by
Paul Potter
Are there any ex P&O GCD personnel on this forum thinking of organising a reunion in 2019?
I am from a close group of ex Riversdale P&O GCD Deck Cadets who went to Riversdale from 1973 to 1977. We have held reunions in the past and they haven't always been inclusive to P&O GCD personnel. We also invited friends who attended Riversdale College of Technology in Liverpool at the same time. The first vessels that our group sailed on were of the 'M' Class ex BI cargo vessels (Merkara and Morvada).
We hope to hold a reunion next year, or are equally content to join others looking to make up numbers and share costs.
Regards,
Paul Potter
Hi Paul,
I sailed with you briefly on mv Mataura in 1976 when we were cadets. Also Mark Rickets & Pete Steen. Happy days!. I met you again 1988 on the Stenna Line Felicity on the Fishguard - Roslare crossing when you were kind enough to show me round the bridge. Promised to have a get together which never happened :-(. I am now living in Southern Spain enjoying the sun with plenty of time to go through these forums :-)
Regards
Rob
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18th March 2020, 08:33 PM
#3
Re: P&O GCD Reunion 2019
Originally Posted by
Robert Arlington
Hi Paul,
I sailed with you briefly on mv Mataura in 1976 when we were cadets. Also Mark Rickets & Pete Steen. Happy days!. I met you again 1988 on the Stenna Line Felicity on the Fishguard - Roslare crossing when you were kind enough to show me round the bridge. Promised to have a get together which never happened :-(. I am now living in Southern Spain enjoying the sun with plenty of time to go through these forums :-)
Regards
Rob
Hi, I sailed on Manora , Merkara and Morvada in the 70's, IEEO, I was on Merkara- StrathMeigle for 2 tours of duty always good memories
on a good run Gulf-Australasia. Where is everyone now ? lost touch. drop me a line.
best regards Russ Irving in Cumbria
Last edited by russell irving; 18th March 2020 at 08:39 PM.
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17th January 2021, 04:00 PM
#4
Re: P&O GCD Reunion 2019
Hi Russell,
Was wondering, while you were on the M's did you bump in to any of the N's or Superstraths up the gulf. I remember being in Dubai when one of the M's came and double birthed with us. Luckily we were on deck waiting and managed to be the first across for a few cold tinnies. We were rather upset when in the bar we were served with the big cans. That was not the problem, it was finding out that you were paying the same for those as we were for the ssmall Japanese ones.
Did you ever meet a lad called "Biffo" - Cliff Chorley?
Geoff.
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17th February 2021, 09:44 PM
#5
Re: P&O GCD Reunion 2019
Geoff Hi , sorry about the delay I have not accessed the web page for a while I just found your message today 17 Feb 2021. I don't remember Biffo any how I did see the superstraths occasionally
I once did a relief spell on the Strath Connon about 3-4 weeks whilst in the gulf ,I then transferred to the Strath Miegle and stayed on for a full year. The 740 ml aussie beer cans were very good
an amusing point the indian crew couldn't trust each other to wack a 740 ml tinnie so they had to have a 320 ml tinnie each and had to pay more per tinnie than we got the larger tinnie's for , Lifes great tapestry, another wrinkle !!! My last good ship was Strath Fyne , the ''F 's '' were considered to be the replacement to the super straths .The F's were built to a very good spec everything on board was best quality .The F's were built on the rebound ,P&O ordered and cancelled some super tankers then some RO-RO's so the F's were financed with the funds already paid to Mitsui Shipyard
My next and last ship before I swallowed the anchor was the Gandara which was a LPG tanker in truth it was a disgrace like a tea strainer with cargo gas leaking out everywhere carcinogenic
VCM for one . there was no spare parts ,no tools nowhere to dobie your boiling suits the machine was clapped .the catering was disgraceful and the in- the- wood tanker men were all Wi-lo !
anyway I eventually got off after a double length tour about 2 stone lighter and got a good job looking after construction cranes at Sellafield with an occasional long weekend trip out on the gas rigs on Morcambe Bay, best job ever ! After the construction contract was completed I worked for BNFL on Sellafield Works, there for 23 years and now happily retired for 10 years 11 in May so things
have turned out very well .I'll sign off now so drop me a line .
Best regards Russ Irving
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